January 30, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
841 
out flat, and the leaves will appear of a bright green 
as if nothing had been amiss. "This will take place 
in the course of two to four hours in a warm room. 
We noted a quantity of it in the nursery of Messrs. 
J. Carter & Co., Forest Hill, some of it being dry 
and other pieces placed in basins of water or in 
Hyacinth glasses or other ornamental vases, which 
may be used at the fancy of the operator. If the 
water is allowed to sink in the Hyacinth or other 
glasses where the short roots cannot follow, the 
stems curl inwards again, but the addition of some 
more water will set the plants right in a short time. 
__.♦_ 
- 
THE WINTER CHERRY. 
Although there are something like thirty good 
species of Physalis, few of them are to be seen in 
British gardens at the present day. About eighteen 
Or More have been introduced from time to time, but 
have been allowed to drop out of cultivation. Some 
Of them are sub-shrubby and require stove or green¬ 
house treatment, while a considerable number of 
those that were once introduced, were annuals, 
probably not sufficiently showy to arouse the 
interest of cultivators generally. The species are 
characterised by a calyx which increases in size as 
the fruit grows, until it becomes quite inflated or 
bladdery. The flowers of different species vary 
from green to white, yellow and pale blue, but they 
are usually small and inconspicuous. The orna¬ 
mental value of the plant depends on whether the 
huge, inflated calyx is coloured or not. In the case 
of the Cape Gooseberry (Physalis edulis) its value 
depends on the fruit, which is eaten raw, cooked, or 
preserved. 
Physalis Alkekengi, the plant under notice, is a 
native of South Europe, while the greater part of 
the ethers which have been introduced are natives 
of various parts of America, either North or South. 
It is the species most widely cultivated in British 
gardens, and being perfectly hardy has only to be 
established in herbaceous borders and it will take 
Care of itself. The numerous underground stems 
are somewhat troublesome owing to their rambling 
nature, and liability to come up amongst 
neighbouring plants. For this reason if 
ought where practicable to be planted on 
a piece of ground by itself, To get the 
best results, a sunny or welhexpOSfed 
position should be selected for it so as to 
encourage the production of fruit. The 
iatt£f is a globular, orange-coloured 
berry, but is completely Covered by the 
calyx. It is acid, somewhat bitter, ahd 
not usually eaten in this country, but is 
said to be eaten as a common fruit in 
Spain, Switzerland, and Germany. Here 
however the globular, inflated and orange- 
coloured calyx constitutes the orna¬ 
mental value of the plant. If the fiuits 
are allowed to hang on the plants after 
ripening the calyx will be very Orna¬ 
mental for a time, but ultimately in the 
wet autumn and early winter months, the 
soft tissue rots away leaving only the 
skeleton framework. If the fruit-bearing 
stems are cut after the calyx is properly 
coloured, and then dried in the same 
way as one would do with Everlastings, 
the calyx will keep its bright colour for 
an' indefinite period of time, more 
especially if covered with a bell glass to 
keep away dust, 
*■- 
ECONOMIC PLANTS. 
“Officinal and Medicinal Plants" was 
the title of a paper read on Thursday of 
last week at the meeting of the Man¬ 
chester Horticultural Improvement 
Society, by Mr. C. Paul, of the Botanical 
Gardens, Old Trafford. Mr. Paul said 
the subject simply meant plants which 
the science, industry, and skill of man 
has turned to practical and useful account as 
food, clothing, or medicine. There could be no 
doubt that man in all ages has been more or less 
dependent on the vegetable world for support and 
comfort. With regard to food plants, a long list of 
which was given in the paper, Mr. Paul said Coffee 
is the berry of a shrub called Coffea arabica, a native 
pf Arabia or Persia. In the hot countries of the 
Eastern hemisphere it has developed a disease 
which threatens the extinction of the old form. 
Coffea liberica is however taking its place as it is 
more robust, and can be grown at a lower level and 
consequently at a higher temperature than its pre¬ 
decessor, which has to be cultivated on the hills. 
L/ELTA autumnalis alba. 
After speaking of medicinal plants, Mr. Paul con¬ 
cluded his paper with the following words: I may 
say that it does not redound to the credit of our 
nation that our people should be so wilfully ignorant 
of the form and origin of their daily food. When 
one hears of the digging of Wheat like coal, and of 
slates growing on trees one thinks that natural 
to pleasure solely as a means of maintenance. Still, 
taking the whole of the present collection of plants, 
native and exotic, there is not another of greater 
variety nearer than the Royal gardens at Kew. 
Many of the plants mentioned in this paper will be 
found there, or representatives of their natural order, 
as it impossible in a limited space to keep every¬ 
thing. When we consider the deadly atmosphere 
which surrounds us the wonder is that so many 
plants live. With your permission I will quote a few 
words uttered by the Bishop of Missouri, America, 
at the opening of a botanic gardens in the city. He 
said: "Looking out upon the world and its three 
great kingdoms into which from childhood we have 
been accustomed to divide things, namely, mineral, 
vegetable, and animal, only a little thought is 
necessary to discover the paramount importance of 
the vegetable kingdom. Wood for fuel, timber for 
houses and furniture, grain, roots, and fruits for 
food, and flax and cotton for clothing show at a 
glance how this kingdom pays superabundant tribute 
for the comfort and support of man. Considering 
that the stored-up coal of the earth, which we call a 
mineral, is of vegetable origin, that Grass and Mul¬ 
berry leaves nourish the sheep, goat, and silkworm, 
whose products we take for clothing, that Grass and 
Corn sustain the herbivorous animals, and that a 
large portion of the curative substances in the materia 
medica is gathered from herbs and trees, we shall con¬ 
clude it is the vegetable kingdom which, by God’s 
appointment, furnishes well nigh everything re¬ 
quired for the life and happiness of'man.'' The 
paper was practically illustrated by specimens of 
plants laid on the table. 
LzELIA AUTUMNALIS 
ALBA. 
The varieties of Ltelia autumnalis are not so nume¬ 
rous as those of L. anceps, but those of them of any 
distinctness which have appeared have been very 
much appreciated. The very dark coloured varieties 
and the pure white one, when obtained true, are the 
most distinct and valuable for horticultural pur¬ 
poses. Our illustrations accompanying 
this show the type, and also the white 
variety under notice, by way of contrast. 
October and November are the usual 
months in which L. autumnalis comes 
into bloom, during which time its appear¬ 
ance is very familiar in every collection 
of Orchids of any importance. The 
sepals are oblong, the petals lanceolate, 
somewhat broader, and of a bright rose 
purple; the spreading segments with 
revolute tips are characteristic features 
of this species. The lip is pale or almost 
white at the base, while the upper portion 
of the side lobes are darker, and the 
middle lobe rose-purple of varying in¬ 
tensity in different individuals. The 
white variety, L. autumnalis alba, is pure 
white with exception of a pale yellow 
blotch in front of the ridges of the disc, 
and a yellow spot about the base of 
the column. In Mexico, the native 
country of the species, the plants are 
found (often in large masses) growing on 
exposed rocks and the stumps of trees, 
with full exposure to sunshine. Culti¬ 
vators should therefore take a hint from 
that fact, and give the plants the full 
advantage of light. The specimens 
from w'hich our illustrations were taken, 
were obtained from Messrs. B. S. Wil¬ 
liams & Son last autumn. 
THE BUSSA PALM. 
The Palm of this name is also knoxvn as 
the Troolia Palm, and by botanists as, 
Manicaria saccifera. It is a native of 
the tidal swamps of the Lower Amazon 
River, in Guiana, and must therefore re¬ 
ceive plentyof water all the year round. It is grown with 
great success in the Victoria house at Kew, where it is 
stood upon an inverted pot in the tank, with its roots 
dipping into the water. The leaves are greatly elon¬ 
gated, and irregularly cut or pinnate in the young 
state, at least with the ends of the pinnte or segments 
truncate, that is, cut short, and ending in coarse 
teeth. The leaves of the old plants are undivided, 
except the teeth along the edges. 
history is largely at a discount instead of at a pre¬ 
mium. 
The gardens at Old Trafford were established 
years ago by men ahead of their time, so that they 
and the public might become acquainted with some 
of the endless forms of the vegetable kingdom. They 
were established as a school for plant life. Un¬ 
fortunately the gardens have drifted from business 
Lzelia autumnalis. 
